Issue of caste-wise census taken up with Centre: RGCC

Chennai: The Registrar General and Census
Commissioner (RGCC) on Saturday informed the Madras High Court that
the issue of a caste-wise census had been taken up with the
Centre.

Further course of action would be taken after receiving a
reply from the Union Ministry for Social Justice and
Empowerment as matters relating to Schedule Castes, Schedule
Tribes and other backward communities lay within the domain of
the ministry, the RGCC said in a counter affidavit filed in
connection with a writ petition filed in the high court.
In the petition, Advocates Forum for Social Justice,
represented by its president K Balu, had sought a direction to
the census authorities to include a separate column in the
decennial census to be conducted in 2011 in which data
pertaining to OBCs would be collected on the basis of that
followed for SCs and STs.

The forum`s grievance was that no adequate representation
was accorded to OBCs and therefore, all data were necessary
for furthering the cause of the community.

The forum said it was left with no option but to move the
court as there was no reply from the Centre to its
representation.
When the matter came up before the First Bench comprising
Chief Justice H L Gokhale and Justice K K Sasidharan, counsel
for the authorities concerned said the forum would get a reply
within eight weeks.

Disposing of the petition, the Bench hoped the
authorities would consider the forum`s representation in all
seriousness and send an appropriate reply to it.